U.S. patent application number 15/957592 was filed with the patent office on 2019-05-30 for thermoelectric module sheet and thermoelectric module assembly including the same.
The applicant listed for this patent is Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation. Invention is credited to Byung Wook Kim, Jin Woo Kwak, Hoo Dam Lee, Su Jung Noh.
Application Number | 20190165235 15/957592 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 66442162 |
Filed Date | 2019-05-30 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190165235 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kwak; Jin Woo ; et
al. |
May 30, 2019 |
THERMOELECTRIC MODULE SHEET AND THERMOELECTRIC MODULE ASSEMBLY
INCLUDING THE SAME
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a thermoelectric module sheet
that includes a base substrate, a plurality of thermoelectric
elements laminated on a surface of the base substrate, and a
plurality of electrodes, each of which is laminated on at least one
surface of at least one of the plurality of thermoelectric elements
to electrically connect the plurality of thermoelectric elements by
a predetermined connecting method.
Inventors: |
Kwak; Jin Woo; (Gyeongsan,
KR) ; Kim; Byung Wook; (Seongnam, KR) ; Noh;
Su Jung; (Seoul, KR) ; Lee; Hoo Dam; (Anyang,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hyundai Motor Company
Kia Motors Corporation |
Seoul
Seoul |
|
KR
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
66442162 |
Appl. No.: |
15/957592 |
Filed: |
April 19, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 35/32 20130101;
H01L 35/02 20130101; H01L 35/30 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01L 35/32 20060101
H01L035/32; H01L 35/02 20060101 H01L035/02; H01L 35/30 20060101
H01L035/30 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 29, 2017 |
KR |
10-2017-0162139 |
Claims
1. A thermoelectric module sheet comprising: a base substrate; a
plurality of thermoelectric elements laminated on a surface of the
base substrate; and a plurality of electrodes, each of which is
laminated on at least one surface of at least one of the plurality
of thermoelectric elements to electrically connect the plurality of
thermoelectric elements by a predetermined connecting method.
2. The thermoelectric module sheet of claim 1, wherein the
plurality of thermoelectric elements are arranged at a
predetermined interval in a width direction of the base
substrate.
3. The thermoelectric module sheet of claim 1, wherein the base
substrate is formed of an elastically deformable material.
4. The thermoelectric module sheet of claim 1, wherein the base
substrate has a sheet shape, and the surface of the base substrate
is a sheet surface with a width and a height that are greater than
a thickness of the base substrate.
5. The thermoelectric module sheet of claim 4, wherein the
plurality of thermoelectric elements are arranged on the sheet
surface such that a height direction of the plurality of
thermoelectric elements is parallel to a height direction of the
base substrate.
6. The thermoelectric module sheet of claim 4, wherein the
plurality of thermoelectric elements are arranged on the sheet
surface such that: end portions of each thermoelectric element are
located on a single straight line together with an end portion of
the sheet surface, or the end portions of each thermoelectric
element are spaced a predetermined distance apart from the end
portion of the sheet surface in a direction toward a central
portion of the sheet surface.
7. The thermoelectric module sheet of claim 4, wherein at least a
portion of each of the plurality of electrodes is either located on
a single straight line together with an end portion of the sheet
surface or disposed to protrude beyond the end portion of the sheet
surface in a predetermined direction.
8. The thermoelectric module sheet of claim 7, wherein the
predetermined direction is a height direction of the plurality of
thermoelectric elements.
9. The thermoelectric module sheet of claim 8, wherein each of the
plurality of electrodes includes a first part having at least a
portion laminated on a heat source-side end surface or a cold
source-side end surface of at least one predetermined
thermoelectric element, among the plurality of thermoelectric
elements, to protrude beyond the end portion of the sheet surface
in the predetermined direction.
10. The thermoelectric module sheet of claim 9, wherein each of the
plurality of electrodes further includes a second part having at
least a portion laminated on another surface of the at least one
predetermined thermoelectric element that extends from the heat
source-side end surface or the cold source-side end surface.
11. A thermoelectric module assembly comprising: a plurality of
thermoelectric module sheets stacked in a predetermined stack
direction; and a plurality of insulation sheets, each of which
covers one of the plurality of thermoelectric module sheets,
wherein each of the plurality of thermoelectric module sheets
includes: a base substrate, a plurality of thermoelectric elements
arranged on a surface of the base substrate, and a plurality of
electrodes configured to electrically connect the plurality of
thermoelectric elements by a predetermined connecting method.
12. The thermoelectric module assembly of claim 11, wherein each of
the plurality of insulation sheets is installed to cover at least a
part of the plurality of thermoelectric elements and a part of the
plurality of electrodes of a given thermoelectric module sheet in
the stack direction.
13. The thermoelectric module assembly of claim 11, further
comprising: a housing in which the plurality of thermoelectric
module sheets and the plurality of insulation sheets are
accommodated, wherein the housing has at least one opening through
which at least a part of the plurality of thermoelectric module
sheets is exposed to the outside.
14. The thermoelectric module assembly of claim 13, wherein the
plurality of thermoelectric module sheets and the plurality of
insulation sheets each have a rounded shape with a predetermined
curvature, and the housing has a rounded shape with a curvature
corresponding to the predetermined curvature.
15. The thermoelectric module assembly of claim 13, further
comprising: an insulation layer stacked on the at least a part of
the plurality of thermoelectric module sheets.
16. The thermoelectric module assembly of claim 15, wherein at
least a portion of each of the plurality of electrodes is either
located on a single straight line together with an end portion of
the one surface of the base substrate or disposed to protrude
beyond the end portion of the surface of the base substrate in a
predetermined direction, at least a part of the plurality of
thermoelectric module sheets including the at least a portion of
each of the plurality of electrodes.
17. A thermoelectric module assembly comprising: at least one
thermoelectric module sheet; and at least one insulation sheet
stacked on the at least one thermoelectric module sheet, wherein
the at least one thermoelectric module sheet includes: a base
substrate folded to have a multi-layer structure, a plurality of
thermoelectric elements arranged on a surface of the base
substrate, and a plurality of electrodes configured to electrically
connect the thermoelectric elements by a predetermined connecting
method, and the at least one insulation sheet is interposed between
one layer of the base substrate and another layer of the base
substrate.
18. The thermoelectric module assembly of claim 17, further
comprising: a housing in which the at least one thermoelectric
module sheet and the at least one insulation sheet are
accommodated, wherein the housing has at least one opening through
which at least a part of the at least one thermoelectric module
sheet is exposed to the outside.
19. The thermoelectric module assembly of claim 18, further
comprising: an insulation layer stacked on the at least a part of
the at least one thermoelectric module sheet.
20. The thermoelectric module assembly of claim 19, wherein at
least a portion of each of the plurality of electrodes is either
located on a single straight line together with an end portion of
the one surface of the base substrate or disposed to protrude
beyond the end portion of the one surface of the base substrate in
a predetermined direction, the at least a part of the at least one
thermoelectric module sheet including the at least a portion of
each of the plurality of electrodes.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based on and claims the benefit of
priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0162139, filed on
Nov. 29, 2017 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by
reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to thermoelectric
modules and, more particularly, to a thermoelectric module sheet
and a thermoelectric module assembly including the same.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Recently, thermoelectric modules have been used for
recovering waste heat discharged from apparatuses, such as
vehicles, using the Seebeck effect of generating an electromotive
force with a temperature difference between opposite ends of a
thermoelectric element. Conventional thermoelectric modules include
N-type and P-type thermoelectric elements having opposite
polarities and arranged alternately, electrodes for electrically
connecting the thermoelectric elements, and insulation substrates
for insulating the electrodes.
[0004] Conventional thermoelectric modules may be manufactured by
forming first electrodes on an upper surface of a lower insulation
substrate, bonding one surface of each thermoelectric element
manufactured in advance to the corresponding first electrode using
a bonding agent, and bonding each second electrode formed in
advance on an upper insulation substrate to an opposite surface of
each thermoelectric element, which is opposite to the one surface
of the thermoelectric element, using a bonding agent. The
thermoelectric elements are bonded to the first electrodes after
being separately aligned with the first electrodes. Due to this,
conventional thermoelectric modules face a problem in that
productivity is degraded.
[0005] Furthermore, the thermoelectric elements must be separated
from one another by a predetermined distance to prevent
short-circuits between the thermoelectric elements. Due to this,
the thermoelectric modules face an additional problem in that the
thermoelectric elements are vulnerable to a mechanical vibration
environment and are likely to be damaged when the thermoelectric
module is press-fit into an apparatus for recovering waste heat.
Therefore, the density of the thermoelectric elements is low. In
addition, since the electrodes and the thermoelectric elements are
laminated on the insulation substrates formed of rigid materials,
like ceramic, the shape of the thermoelectric module is limited
during manufacturing.
SUMMARY
[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the
above-mentioned problems occurring in the related art while
advantages achieved by the related art are maintained intact.
[0007] An aspect of the present disclosure provides a
thermoelectric module sheet having an improved structure for
collectively forming and arranging a plurality of thermoelectric
elements, and a thermoelectric module assembly including the
thermoelectric module sheet.
[0008] Furthermore, another aspect of the present disclosure
provides a thermoelectric module sheet having an improved structure
that is robust to a mechanical vibration environment and is capable
of reducing the risk of damage, and a thermoelectric module
assembly including the thermoelectric module sheet.
[0009] Moreover, another aspect of the present disclosure provides
a thermoelectric module sheet having an improved structure for
increasing the density of thermoelectric elements, and a
thermoelectric module assembly including the thermoelectric module
sheet.
[0010] In addition, another aspect of the present disclosure
provides a thermoelectric module sheet having an improved structure
for easily implementing thermoelectric modules having various
shapes, and a thermoelectric module assembly including the
thermoelectric module sheet.
[0011] The technical problems to be solved by the present
disclosure are not limited to the aforementioned problems, and any
other technical problems not mentioned herein will be clearly
understood from the following description by those skilled in the
art to which the present disclosure pertains.
[0012] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a
thermoelectric module sheet includes: a base substrate, a plurality
of thermoelectric elements laminated on a surface of the base
substrate, and a plurality of electrodes, each of which is
laminated on at least one surface of at least one of the plurality
of thermoelectric elements to electrically connect the plurality of
thermoelectric elements by a predetermined connecting method.
[0013] The plurality of thermoelectric elements may be arranged at
a predetermined interval in a width direction of the base
substrate.
[0014] The base substrate may be formed of an elastically
deformable material.
[0015] The base substrate may have a sheet shape, and the surface
of the base substrate is a sheet surface with a width and a height
that are greater than a thickness of the base substrate.
[0016] The plurality of thermoelectric elements may be arranged on
the sheet surface such that a height direction of the plurality of
thermoelectric elements is parallel to a height direction of the
base substrate.
[0017] The plurality of thermoelectric elements may be arranged on
the sheet surface such that: end portions of each thermoelectric
element are located on a single straight line together with an end
portion of the sheet surface, or the end portions of each
thermoelectric element are spaced a predetermined distance apart
from the end portion of the sheet surface in a direction toward a
central portion of the sheet surface.
[0018] At least a portion of each of the plurality of electrodes
may be either located on a single straight line together with an
end portion of the sheet surface or disposed to protrude beyond the
end portion of the sheet surface in a predetermined direction.
[0019] The predetermined direction may be a height direction of the
plurality of thermoelectric elements.
[0020] Each of the plurality of electrodes may include a first part
having at least a portion laminated on a heat source-side end
surface or a cold source-side end surface of at least one
predetermined thermoelectric element, among the plurality of
thermoelectric elements, to protrude beyond the end portion of the
sheet surface in the predetermined direction.
[0021] Each of the plurality of electrodes may further include a
second part having at least a portion laminated on another surface
of the at least one predetermined thermoelectric element that
extends from the heat source-side end surface or the cold
source-side end surface.
[0022] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present
disclosure, a thermoelectric module assembly includes: a plurality
of thermoelectric module sheets stacked in a predetermined stack
direction and a plurality of insulation sheets, each of which
covers one of the plurality of thermoelectric module sheets. Each
of the plurality of thermoelectric module sheets includes a base
substrate, a plurality of thermoelectric elements arranged on a
surface of the base substrate, and a plurality of electrodes that
electrically connect the plurality of thermoelectric elements by a
predetermined connecting method.
[0023] Each of the plurality of insulation sheets may be installed
to cover at least a part of the plurality of thermoelectric
elements and a part of the plurality of electrodes of a given
thermoelectric module sheet in the stack direction.
[0024] The thermoelectric module sheets and the insulation sheets
may have a rounded shape.
[0025] The thermoelectric module assembly may further include a
housing in which the plurality of thermoelectric module sheets and
the plurality of insulation sheets are accommodated, and the
housing may have at least one opening through which at least a part
of the plurality of thermoelectric module sheets is exposed to the
outside.
[0026] The thermoelectric module assembly may further include an
insulation layer stacked on the at least a part of the plurality of
thermoelectric module sheets.
[0027] At least a portion of each of the plurality of electrodes
may either be located on a single straight line together with an
end portion of the one surface of the base substrate or disposed to
protrude beyond the end portion of the surface of the base
substrate in a predetermined direction, at least a part of the
plurality of thermoelectric module sheets including the at least a
portion of each of the plurality of electrodes.
[0028] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present
disclosure, a thermoelectric module assembly includes: at least one
thermoelectric module sheet and at least one insulation sheet
stacked on the at least one thermoelectric module sheet. The at
least one thermoelectric module sheet includes a base substrate
folded to have a multi-layer structure, a plurality of
thermoelectric elements arranged on a surface of the base
substrate, and a plurality of electrodes that electrically connect
the thermoelectric elements by a predetermined connecting method.
The at least one insulation sheet is interposed between one layer
of the base substrate and another layer of the base substrate.
[0029] The thermoelectric module assembly may further include a
housing in which the at least one thermoelectric module sheet and
the at least one insulation sheet are accommodated, and the housing
may have at least one opening through which at least a part of the
at least one thermoelectric module sheet is exposed to the
outside.
[0030] The thermoelectric module assembly may further include an
insulation layer stacked on the at least a part of the at least one
thermoelectric module sheet.
[0031] At least a portion of each of the plurality of electrodes
may either be located on a single straight line together with an
end portion of the one surface of the base substrate or disposed to
protrude beyond the end portion of the one surface of the base
substrate in a predetermined direction, the at least a part of the
at least one thermoelectric module sheet including the at least a
portion of each of the plurality of electrodes.
[0032] Accordingly, the present disclosure relates to a
thermoelectric module sheet and a thermoelectric module assembly
including the same that have at least the following effects:
[0033] First, by stacking, rolling, and folding thermoelectric
module sheets, it is possible to implement thermoelectric module
sheets having various shapes and thermoelectric module assemblies
including the same depending on environmental conditions.
[0034] Second, by painting thermoelectric elements on a base
substrate, it is possible to simultaneously perform a process of
manufacturing and arranging the thermoelectric elements, thereby
minimizing time required to manufacture and arrange the
thermoelectric elements.
[0035] Third, by stacking, rolling, and folding a plurality of
thermoelectric module sheets and then encapsulating the
thermoelectric module sheets in various forms of housings, it is
possible to increase the density of thermoelectric elements and
implement a thermoelectric module robust to mechanical
vibration.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the
present disclosure will be more apparent from the following
detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings:
[0037] FIG. 1 is a front view of a thermoelectric module sheet
according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0038] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the thermoelectric module
sheet;
[0039] FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating a state in which
thermoelectric elements are formed on a base substrate;
[0040] FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the thermoelectric module
sheet, which is taken along line I-I' of FIG. 1;
[0041] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric module
assembly according to a second embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0042] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a housing;
[0043] FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating a state in which
thermoelectric module sheets and insulation sheets are accommodated
in the housing;
[0044] FIG. 8 is a schematic view for explaining a method for
rolling the thermoelectric module sheets and insulation sheets;
[0045] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which
cooling pins are stacked on the thermoelectric module assembly;
[0046] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which
a cooling jacket is stacked on the thermoelectric module
assembly;
[0047] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric module
assembly according to a third embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0048] FIG. 12 is a plan view illustrating a state in which
thermoelectric module sheets and insulation sheets are accommodated
in a housing;
[0049] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric module
assembly according to a fourth embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0050] FIG. 14 is a plan view illustrating a state in which a
thermoelectric module sheet and insulation sheets are accommodated
in a housing;
[0051] FIG. 15 is a schematic view for explaining a method for
folding and stacking the thermoelectric module sheet and the
insulation sheets; and
[0052] FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining a method for
manufacturing a thermoelectric module assembly according to a fifth
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0053] It should be understood that the above-referenced drawings
are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified
representation of various preferred features illustrative of the
basic principles of the disclosure. The specific design features of
the present disclosure, including, for example, specific
dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, will be determined
in part by the particular intended application and use
environment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0054] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure
will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numbers will be used
throughout to designate the same or equivalent elements. In
addition, a detailed description of well-known features or
functions will be ruled out in order not to unnecessarily obscure
the gist of the present disclosure.
[0055] Terms, such as "first", "second", "A", "B", "(a)", "(b)",
and the like, may be used herein to describe elements of the
present disclosure. Such terms are only used to distinguish one
element from another element, and the substance, sequence, order,
or number of these elements is not limited by these terms. Unless
otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and
scientific terms, have the same meaning as those generally
understood by those skilled in the art to which the present
disclosure pertains. Such terms as those defined in a generally
used dictionary are to be interpreted as having meanings equal to
the contextual meanings in the relevant field of art, and are not
to be interpreted as having ideal or excessively formal meanings
unless clearly defined as having such in the present
application.
[0056] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are
intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context
clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the
terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this
specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude
the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As
used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of
one or more of the associated listed items.
[0057] Referring now to the presently disclosed embodiments, FIG. 1
is a front view of a thermoelectric module sheet according to a
first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a plan view
of the thermoelectric module sheet. The height direction
illustrated in FIG. 1 may refer to the height direction of a base
substrate 10, the width direction illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 may
refer to the width direction of the base substrate 10, and the
thickness direction illustrated in FIG. 2 may refer to the
thickness direction of the base substrate 10.
[0058] Referring first to FIG. 1, a thermoelectric module sheet 1
according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure may
include the base substrate 10, a plurality of thermoelectric
elements 20 arranged on one surface of the base substrate 10, and a
plurality of electrodes 30, each of which is disposed on at least
one surface of at least one of the plurality of thermoelectric
elements 20 to electrically connect the thermoelectric elements 20
by a predetermined connecting method.
[0059] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the base substrate 10 may
have a sheet shape with a width W and a height H that are
significantly greater than a thickness D. The base substrate 10 may
include sheet surfaces 12 and thickness surfaces 14 and 16. The
sheet surfaces 12 may correspond to the front and rear surfaces of
the base substrate 10 and may have the predetermined width W and
height H. The thickness surfaces 14 and 16 may correspond to the
upper-side, lower-side, left-side, and right-side surfaces of the
base substrate 10 and may have the predetermined thickness D.
[0060] The material of the base substrate 10 is not limited to a
specific material, whereby the base substrate 10 may be formed of a
material corresponding to the temperature and shape of an apparatus
in which the thermoelectric module sheet 1 is mounted. For example,
the base substrate 10 may be formed of a flexible material based on
an elastically-deformable polymer. Then, the base substrate 10 may
be easily folded and rolled according to the shape of the apparatus
in which the thermoelectric module sheet 1 is mounted and other
environmental conditions. In another example, the base substrate 10
may be formed of a ceramic-based high heat-resistant insulating
material. Then, the durability of the base substrate 10 may be
stably maintained even under a high-temperature atmosphere.
[0061] FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating a state in which
thermoelectric elements are laminated on a base substrate.
[0062] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the thermoelectric elements 20 may
be arranged on one surface of the base substrate 10. The
thermoelectric elements 20 may include first thermoelectric
elements 22 and second thermoelectric elements 24 alternately
arranged at a predetermined interval in the width direction of the
base substrate 10. The first thermoelectric elements 22 and the
second thermoelectric elements 24 may have opposite polarities. For
example, if the first thermoelectric elements are N-type
thermoelectric elements, the second thermoelectric elements 24 may
be P-type thermoelectric elements, and if the first thermoelectric
elements 22 are P-type thermoelectric elements, the second
thermoelectric elements 24 may be N-type thermoelectric
elements.
[0063] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the thermoelectric elements 20 may
be preferably arranged such that the height direction of the
thermoelectric elements 20 is parallel to the height direction of
the base substrate 10. Without being limited thereto, however, the
thermoelectric elements 20 may be arranged such that the height
direction of the thermoelectric elements 20 is inclined at a
predetermined angle with respect to the height direction of the
base substrate 10.
[0064] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the thermoelectric elements 20 may
be preferably arranged such that heat source-side end surfaces 22a
and 24a are located on the same straight line together with one end
12a of the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate 10 and cold
source-side end surfaces 22b and 24b are located on the same
straight line together with an opposite end 12b of the sheet
surface 12 of the base substrate 10 that is opposite to the one end
12a of the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate 10. Without being
limited thereto, however, the thermoelectric elements 20 may also
be arranged such that the heat source-side end surfaces 22a and 24b
are spaced a predetermined distance apart from the one end 12a of
the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate 10 in the direction
toward the central portion of the sheet surface 12 of the base
substrate 10 and the cold source-side end surfaces 22b and 24b are
spaced a predetermined distance apart from the opposite end 12b of
the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate 10 in the direction
toward the central portion of the sheet surface 12 of the base
substrate 10. Here, the heat source-side end surfaces 22a and 24a
of the thermoelectric elements 20 may be surfaces of the
thermoelectric elements 20 that make thermal contact with a heat
source H, and may correspond to heat-absorbing parts of the
thermoelectric elements 20 that absorb heat radiating from the heat
source H. The cold source-side end surfaces 22b and 24b of the
thermoelectric elements 20 may be surfaces of the thermoelectric
elements 20 that make thermal contact with a cold source C, and may
correspond to heat-radiating parts of the thermoelectric elements
20 that transfer heat absorbed into the thermoelectric elements 20
to the cold source C.
[0065] The material of the thermoelectric elements 20 is not
limited to a specific material. For example, the thermoelectric
elements 20 may be formed of a BiTe, SKD, Si, or HH-based
thermoelectric material.
[0066] Meanwhile, the method for arranging the thermoelectric
elements 20 on the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate 10 is not
limited to a single technique. For example, the thermoelectric
elements 20 having a thin sheet shape may be laminated on the sheet
surface 12 of the base substrate 10 by painting, on the sheet
surface 12 of the base substrate 10, a mixture of a sintering aid,
an organic conductive binder, or the like and the above-described
thermoelectric material and then sintering the mixture through heat
treatment. By laminating the thermoelectric elements 20 in this
way, it is possible to simultaneously arrange the thermoelectric
elements 20 on the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate 10 and
thus reduce time required to arrange the thermoelectric elements
20, thereby enhancing productivity, as compared with when
separately formed thermoelectric elements are individually bonded
to the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate 10.
[0067] The length of the thermoelectric elements 20 and the
interval between the thermoelectric elements 20 are not limited to
a specific length. The length of the thermoelectric elements 20 and
the interval between the thermoelectric elements 20 may be
determined based on a thermal environment of the thermoelectric
module sheet 1. Since the thermoelectric elements 20 are laminated
on the sheet surface 12 as described above, the thermoelectric
elements 20 may be supported by the sheet surface 12. Due to this,
the thermoelectric elements 20 may have a structure robust to a
mechanical vibration environment, compared to thermoelectric
elements of a conventional thermoelectric module that are spaced
apart from one another by a predetermined interval without the aid
of a support member, such as the base substrate 10 of the
thermoelectric module sheet 1. Accordingly, the thermoelectric
elements 20 are less likely to short-circuit even though mechanical
vibration is applied thereto, and therefore the thermoelectric
elements 20 may be arranged with a narrower interval therebetween
than the thermoelectric elements of the conventional thermoelectric
module. As a result, the thermoelectric module sheet 1 may increase
the density of the thermoelectric elements 20, compared to the
conventional thermoelectric module.
[0068] FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the thermoelectric module
sheet, which is taken along line I-I' of FIG. 1.
[0069] The electrodes 30 may be configured to electrically connect
the thermoelectric elements 20 according to a predetermined
connecting method. For example, the electrodes 30 may be configured
to connect the thermoelectric elements 20 in series. To this end,
as illustrated in FIG. 1, the electrodes 30 may include first
electrodes 32 electrically connecting the heat source-side end
surfaces 22a and 24a of the first thermoelectric elements 22 and
the second thermoelectric elements 24 arranged adjacent to one
another and second electrodes 34 electrically connecting the cold
source-side end surfaces 22b and 24b of the first thermoelectric
elements 22 and the second thermoelectric elements 24 arranged
adjacent to one another.
[0070] The electrodes 30 may each have at least a portion located
on the same straight line together with an end of the sheet surface
12 of the base substrate 10 or disposed to further protrude beyond
the end of the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate 10 in a
predetermined direction.
[0071] For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the case
where the thermoelectric elements 20 are arranged such that the
heat source-side end surfaces 22a and 24a of the thermoelectric
elements 20 are located on the same straight line together with the
one end 12a of the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate 10, the
first electrodes 32 may each have at least a portion disposed to
further protrude beyond the one end 12a of the sheet surface 12 of
the base substrate 10 in one direction of the base substrate 10. To
this end, the first electrodes 32 may each include a first part 32a
laminated on any one thickness surface 14 of the base substrate 10
and the heat source-side end surface 22a, 24a of at least one of
the thermoelectric elements 20 to further protrude beyond the one
end 12a of the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate 10 in the one
direction of the base substrate 10 and a second part 32b extending
from the first part 32a to make a predetermined angle together with
the first part 32a and having at least a portion laminated on a
sheet surface 22c, 24c of at least one of the thermoelectric
elements 20.
[0072] For instance, the one direction of the base substrate 10 may
be the height direction of the base substrate 10 or the opposite
direction to the height direction, and the thickness surface 14 of
the base substrate 10 may be a thickness surface connected with the
one end 12a of the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate 10, among
the thickness surfaces of the base substrate 10. If the first
electrodes 32 are laminated in this way, the first electrodes 32
may have an L-shaped section and may be disposed to make contact
with the heat source-side end surfaces 22a and 24a and the sheet
surfaces 22c and 24c of the thermoelectric elements 20, as
illustrated in FIG. 4.
[0073] For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the case
where the thermoelectric elements 20 are arranged such that the
cold source-side end surfaces 22b and 24b of the thermoelectric
elements 20 are located on the same straight line together with the
opposite end 12b of the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate 10,
the second electrodes 34 may each have at least a portion disposed
to further protrude beyond the opposite end 12b of the sheet
surface 12 of the base substrate 10 in an opposite direction of the
base substrate 10. To this end, the second electrodes 34 may each
include a first part 34a laminated on another thickness surface 16
of the base substrate 10 and the cold source-side end surface 22b,
24b of at least one of the thermoelectric elements 20 to further
protrude beyond the opposite end 12b of the sheet surface 12 of the
base substrate 10 in the opposite direction of the base substrate
10 and a second part 34b extending from the first part 34a to make
a predetermined angle together with the first part 34a and having
at least a portion laminated on the sheet surface 22c, 24c of at
least one of the thermoelectric elements 20.
[0074] For instance, the opposite direction of the base substrate
10 may be the opposite direction to the one direction of the base
substrate 10, which has been described above, and the other
thickness surface 16 of the base substrate 10 may be a thickness
surface connected with the opposite end 12b of the sheet surface 12
of the base substrate 10, among the thickness surfaces of the base
substrate 10. If the second electrodes 34 are laminated in this
way, the second electrodes 34 may have an L-shaped section and may
be disposed to make contact with the cold source-side end surfaces
22b and 24b and the sheet surfaces 22c and 24c of the
thermoelectric elements 20, as illustrated in FIG. 4.
[0075] If the first electrodes 32 and the second electrodes 34 are
laminated as described above, the first electrodes 32 may make
thermal contact with the heat source H, and the second electrodes
34 may make thermal contact with the cold source C, as illustrated
in FIG. 1. Accordingly, the thermoelectric elements 20 may generate
an electromotive force proportional to a temperature difference
between the heat source-side end surfaces 22a and 24a making
thermal contact with the heat source H through the first electrodes
32 and the cold source-side end surfaces 22b and 24b making thermal
contact with the cold source C through the second electrodes
34.
[0076] The material of the electrodes 30 is not limited to a
specific material. For example, the electrodes 30 may be formed of
Cu, Al, Mo, Mo--Cu, Ni-coated Cu, or the like.
[0077] Meanwhile, the method for laminating the electrodes 30 on
the base substrate 10 and the thermoelectric elements 20 is not
limited to a specific technique. For example, the electrodes 30 may
be laminated on the base substrate 10 and the thermoelectric
elements 20 through plating.
[0078] Although it has been described that the first parts 32a of
the first electrodes 32, which are laminated on the heat
source-side end surfaces 22a and 24a of the thermoelectric elements
20, make contact with the heat source H, and the first parts 34a of
the second electrodes 34, which are laminated on the cold
source-side end surfaces 22b and 24b of the thermoelectric elements
20, make contact with the cold source C, the first electrodes 32
and the second electrodes 34 are not limited thereto. That is, the
first electrodes 32 may include only the second parts 32b laminated
on the sheet surfaces 22c and 24c of the thermoelectric elements 20
to allow the heat source-side end surfaces 22a and 24a of the
thermoelectric elements 20 to make direct contact with the heat
source H. Furthermore, the second electrodes 34 may include only
the second parts 34b laminated on the sheet surfaces 22c and 24c of
the thermoelectric elements 20 to allow the cold source-side end
surfaces 22b and 24b of the thermoelectric elements 20 to make
direct contact with the cold source C.
[0079] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric module
assembly according to a second embodiment of the present
disclosure. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a housing. FIG. 7 is a
plan view illustrating a state in which thermoelectric module
sheets and insulation sheets are accommodated in the housing.
[0080] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, a thermoelectric module assembly
2 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure may
include a housing 40, a plurality of thermoelectric module sheets 1
accommodated in the housing 40 and stacked in a predetermined stack
direction, and insulation sheets 50 that cover the thermoelectric
module sheets 1.
[0081] The housing 40 may have various shapes depending on the
shape of an apparatus in which the thermoelectric module assembly 2
is mounted and other environmental conditions. For example, as
illustrated in FIG. 6, the housing 40 may have a cylindrical shape.
The housing 40 may have a storage space 42 formed therein to
accommodate the thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the insulation
sheets 50, a first opening 44 through which the storage space 42 is
open in the direction toward the lower side of the base substrates
10 such that at least a part of the thermoelectric module sheets 1
is exposed to the outside, and a second opening 46 through which
the storage space 42 is open in the direction toward the upper side
of the base substrates 10 such that at least a part of the
thermoelectric module sheets 1 is exposed to the outside.
[0082] The material of the housing 40 is not limited to a specific
material. For example, the housing 40 may be formed of SUS, Al, or
the like.
[0083] FIG. 8 is a schematic view for explaining a method for
rolling the thermoelectric module sheets and the insulation
sheets.
[0084] The thermoelectric module sheets 1 may preferably have the
same configuration as that of the above-described thermoelectric
module sheet 1 according to the first embodiment of the present
disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the thermoelectric module
sheets 1 may be stacked in the thickness direction of the base
substrates 10.
[0085] As illustrated in FIG. 8, each of the insulation sheets 50
may be installed to cover the thermoelectric elements 20 and the
electrodes 30 of any one of thermoelectric module sheets 1 in the
thickness direction of the corresponding base substrate 10. To this
end, the insulation sheet 50 may have an area corresponding to the
base substrate 10 of the thermoelectric module sheet 1 to cover the
thermoelectric elements 20 and the electrodes 30 of the
thermoelectric module sheet 1 in the thickness direction of the
base substrate 10. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the
thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the insulation sheets 50 may be
alternately stacked in the thickness direction of the base
substrates 10.
[0086] The number of installed insulation sheets 50 is not limited
to a specific figure, and the same number of insulation sheets 50
as the thermoelectric module sheets 1 may be installed. Similarly,
the material of the insulation sheets 50 is not limited to a
specific material. For example, the insulation sheets 50 may be
formed of a flexible material based on an elastically-deformable
polymer. The insulation sheets 50 may insulate the thermoelectric
module sheets 1 to prevent short-circuits between the
thermoelectric module sheets 1.
[0087] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the thermoelectric module sheets 1
and the insulation sheets 50 may be rolled about a predetermined
center point by an external force to have a rounded shape. For
example, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the thermoelectric module sheets
1 and the insulation sheets 50 may be rolled by an external force
to have a cylindrical shape. In this case, the thermoelectric
module sheets 1 and the insulation sheets 50 may preferably have
different widths to have different radii when rolled. The
thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the insulation sheets 50 rolled
to have a cylindrical shape may be accommodated in the storage
space 42 of the housing 40 through the openings 44 and 46 of the
housing 40. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the first parts 32a of
the first electrodes 32 may be exposed outside the housing 40
through the first opening 44, and the first parts 34a of the second
electrodes 34 may be exposed outside the housing 40 through the
second opening 46.
[0088] Meanwhile, the thermoelectric module assembly 2 may further
include insulation layers 60 stacked on the thermoelectric module
sheets 1 in the height direction of the base substrates 10 or the
opposite direction to the height direction to insulate at least a
part of the thermoelectric module sheets 1 from outside the housing
40. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the insulation layers 60 may include
a first insulation layer 62 stacked on a part of the thermoelectric
module sheets 1 and the insulation sheets 50 exposed to the outside
through the first opening 44 to at least cover the first parts 32a
of the first electrodes 32 and a second insulation layer 64 stacked
on a part of the thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the insulation
sheets 50 exposed to the outside through the second opening 46 to
at least cover the first parts 34a of the second electrodes 34.
[0089] The thermoelectric module assembly 2 may have an
encapsulated structure in which the plurality of thermoelectric
module sheets 1 are accommodated in the housing 40. Therefore, the
thermoelectric module assembly 2 may stably maintain the
thermoelectric module sheets 1, which have thermoelectric elements
20 laminated thereon, in an elastically deformed state according to
the shape of the housing 40, and thus the thermoelectric elements
20 may be easily arranged in various forms depending on an
apparatus in which the thermoelectric module assembly 2 is mounted
and other environmental conditions. Furthermore, the thermoelectric
module sheets 1 may be stacked so as to be brought into close
contact with one another in the thickness direction of the base
substrates 10, and thus the thermoelectric module assembly 2 may
increase the density of the thermoelectric elements 20 to enhance
thermoelectric energy conversion efficiency.
[0090] Meanwhile, unexplained reference number "E" denotes electric
wires for electrically connecting the electrodes 30 with an
external electric device, such as a battery.
[0091] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which
heat dissipation pins are stacked on the thermoelectric module
assembly. FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a state in
which a cooling jacket is stacked on the thermoelectric module
assembly.
[0092] The thermoelectric module assembly 2 may be disposed such
that the first insulation layer 62 makes thermal contact with the
heat source H and the second insulation layer 64 makes thermal
contact with the cold source C. Then, heat radiating from the heat
source H may be transferred to the heat source-side end surfaces
22a and 24a of the thermoelectric elements 20 through the first
insulation layer 62 and the first electrodes 32, and heat radiating
from the cold source-side end surfaces 22b and 24b of the
thermoelectric elements 20 may be transferred to the cold source C
through the second electrodes 34 and the second insulation layer
64. The type of heat source H and cold source C applicable to the
thermoelectric module assembly 2 is not limited to a specific
source. For example, the heat source H may be an exhaust pipe, an
exhaust manifold, or the like of a vehicle. For example, as
illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the cold source C may be heat
dissipation pins P, a cooling jacket C, or the like.
[0093] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric module
assembly according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 12 is a plan view illustrating a state in which thermoelectric
module sheets and insulation sheets are accommodated in a housing.
Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, a thermoelectric module assembly 3
according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure differs
from the above-described thermoelectric module assembly 2 in that
the housing 40 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and the
thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the insulation sheets 50 are
stacked to correspond to the shape of the housing 40.
[0094] As illustrated in FIG. 12, the thermoelectric module sheets
1 and the insulation sheets 50 may have the same area. The
thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the insulation sheets 50 may be
alternately stacked in the thickness direction of the base
substrates 10 such that at least a part of the thermoelectric
elements 20 and the electrodes 30 is covered by the insulation
sheets 50. Then, the thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the
insulation sheets 50 may form a rectangular parallelepiped. The
thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the insulation sheets 50 stacked
to form a rectangular parallelepiped may be accommodated in the
storage space 42 of the housing 40.
[0095] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric module
assembly according to a fourth embodiment of the present
disclosure. FIG. 14 is a plan view illustrating a state in which a
thermoelectric module sheet and insulation sheets are accommodated
in a housing. FIG. 15 is a schematic view for explaining a method
for folding and stacking the thermoelectric module sheet and the
insulation sheets.
[0096] Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, a thermoelectric module
assembly 4 according to the fourth embodiment of the present
disclosure differs from the above-described thermoelectric module
assembly 2 in that the housing 40 has a shape with rounded corners
and the thermoelectric module sheet 1 and the insulation sheets 50
are folded and stacked to correspond to the shape of the housing
40.
[0097] As illustrated in FIG. 14, the base substrate 10 of the
thermoelectric module sheet 1 may be folded at least once to have a
multi-layer structure. The method for folding the base substrate 10
is not limited to a specific technique. For example, as illustrated
in FIG. 15, the base substrate 10 may be folded in the
predetermined clockwise or counterclockwise direction to form a
multi-layer structure.
[0098] As illustrated in FIG. 14, the insulation sheets 50 may each
be interposed between one layer of the base substrate 10 and
another layer of the base substrate 10 that faces the one layer, to
cover at least a part of the thermoelectric elements 20 and the
electrodes 30 in the thickness direction of the base substrate 10.
To this end, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the insulation sheets 50
may be stacked on one surface or an opposite surface of the
thermoelectric module sheet 1 in consideration of the direction in
which the base substrate 10 is folded. The thermoelectric module
sheet 1 and the insulation sheets 50 folded and stacked to
correspond to the shape of the housing 40 may be accommodated in
the inner space of the housing 40.
[0099] FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining a method for
manufacturing a thermoelectric module assembly according to a fifth
embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0100] The method for manufacturing the thermoelectric module
assembly according to the fifth embodiment of the present
disclosure may include step S10 of laminating the thermoelectric
elements 20 on one surface of the base substrate 10, step S20 of
forming the thermoelectric module sheet 1 by laminating the
electrodes 30 on at least one predetermined thermoelectric element
20 among the thermoelectric elements 20 such that the
thermoelectric elements 20 are electrically connected together by a
predetermined connecting method, step S30 of alternately stacking
the thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the insulation sheets 50,
and step S40 of accommodating the thermoelectric module sheets 1
and the insulation sheets 50 in the housing 40.
[0101] Step S10 may be performed by painting the thermoelectric
elements 20 on the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate 10 such
that the thermoelectric elements 20 having opposite polarities are
alternately located on the sheet surface 12 of the base substrate
10 at a predetermined interval.
[0102] Step S20 may be performed by laminating the first electrodes
32 such that the heat source-side end surfaces 22a and 24a of the
pair of thermoelectric elements 20 arranged adjacent to each other
are electrically connected together, and then laminating the second
electrodes 34 such that the cold source-side end surfaces 22b and
24b of the pair of thermoelectric elements 20 arranged adjacent to
each other are electrically connected together. Each of the first
electrodes 32 may preferably have at least a portion located on the
same straight line together with the one end 12a of the sheet
surface 12 of the base substrate 10 or laminated to further
protrude beyond the one end 12a of the sheet surface 12 in one
direction of the base substrate 10. Each of the second electrodes
34 may preferably have at least a portion located on the same
straight line together with the opposite end 12b of the sheet
surface 12 of the base substrate 10 or laminated to further
protrude beyond the opposite end 12b of the sheet surface 12 in an
opposite direction of the base substrate 10. If the electrodes 30
are laminated on the thermoelectric elements 20 as described above,
the thermoelectric module sheet 1 having a structure in which the
thermoelectric elements 20 and the electrodes 30 are laminated on
the base substrate 10 may be formed. Here, the one direction of the
base substrate 10 may preferably be the height direction of the
base substrate 10 or the opposite direction to the height
direction, and the opposite direction of the base substrate 10 may
preferably be the opposite direction to the one direction of the
base substrate 10.
[0103] Step S30 may be performed by alternately stacking the
plurality of thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the plurality of
insulation sheets 50 in the thickness direction of the base
substrate 10 such that at least a part of the thermoelectric
elements 20 and the electrodes 30 of each thermoelectric module
sheet 1 is covered by any one of the insulation sheets 50 in the
thickness direction of the base substrate 10.
[0104] Step S40 may be performed by accommodating the
thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the insulation sheets 50 stacked
in step S30 in the inner space of the housing 40. In this case, the
thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the insulation sheets 50 may
preferably be accommodated in the storage space 42 of the housing
40 such that at least a part of the electrodes 30 is exposed to the
outside through the openings 44 and 46 of the housing 40. According
to step S40, the plurality of thermoelectric module sheets 1 may be
accommodated in the housing 40 to form an encapsulated
thermoelectric module assembly.
[0105] The method for manufacturing the thermoelectric module
assembly according to the fifth embodiment of the present
disclosure may further include step S35 of rolling and folding the
thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the insulation sheets 50 such
that the thermoelectric module sheets 1 and the insulation sheets
50 have a shape corresponding to the housing 40, in which step S35
is performed between step S30 and step S40, and step S50 of
insulating the thermoelectric module sheets 1 from the outside by
stacking the insulation layers 60 on a part of the thermoelectric
module sheets 1 and the insulation sheets 50 exposed to the outside
through the openings 44 and 46 of the housing 40.
[0106] Although the present disclosure has been described with
reference to exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
the present disclosure is not limited thereto, but may be variously
modified and altered by those skilled in the art to which the
present disclosure pertains without departing from the spirit and
scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, the embodiments
described herein are not necessarily mutually exclusive of each
other, whereby elements of each disclosed embodiment may be
combined with other disclosed embodiments.
[0107] Therefore, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure
are provided to explain the spirit and scope of the present
disclosure, but not to limit them, so that the spirit and scope of
the present disclosure is not limited by the embodiments. The scope
of the present disclosure should be construed on the basis of the
accompanying claims, and all the technical ideas within the scope
equivalent to the claims should be included in the scope of the
present disclosure.
* * * * *